UPCOMING OUTING 3 July 2016 - Bird Ringing

Dear Members

Sunday 3 July 2016 6.30am. BIRDLIFE TROGONS will visit iGwalagwala Forest, lower site, Melville, where Andrew & Ivan will be bird ringing,  Bring chairs, cameras & breakfast, also maybe something to braai for lunch at the Pickles’ later.  There is a R20 charge for non-members.

ALL WELCOME. Outings may be cancelled due to weather, check www.birdlifetrogons.blogspot.com or phone Andrew before setting off.  For further details telephone**  Andrew Pickles 082 338 3302 or visit the blog.  ** Please note we cannot respond to text messages or “call me” requests.

PLEASE LET ANDREW KNOW IF YOU WILL BE ATTENDING THE OUTING

From the R102 coast road in Melville turn inland, signed Upper Melville.  Turn first left (about 100m from the R102, before you start going uphill).   Keep on the tar road and there will be a sign on the left hand side by a track up the hill, GPS co-ordinates at turn-off DD MM SS.S

S30 39 00.1   E30 30 25.9

Call to report sightings of Swift Terns with rings

This message from the University of Cape Town.

We are a team from the University of Cape Town studying the southern African population of Swift Terns. During April 2013, we ringed 500 chicks on Robben Island with inscribed color-rings and metal rings in order to better understand their dispersal and changes in population numbers. With your help, we will be able to estimate survival, dispersal and movement patterns in this species. Any reports of color-ringed Swift Terns (dead or alive) are crucial to this program and to the conservation of seabirds. If you are willing to help, please reply or report any ringed bird to our team at: swift.terns@ gmail.com
 

Call for birders to look out for Cape Vultures with tags

The Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres) is the only colonial South African vulture species nesting on cliffs [1,2]. Its range is restricted to southern Africa, with breeding occuring in Botswana and South Africa. Breeding was recently reported to have ceased in Namibia [3]. The formerly widespread population of about 440 breeding colonies in the early 1900s declined to about 167 breeding colonies at the end of the 20^th century [4]. The species is listed as vulnerable due to ongoing population declines, whereby poisoning, power-line collision, hunting for the local muthi market and declining food resources are the main threats to its existence. Nowadays, an estimated number of 3,400 breeding pairs exist in southern Africa [1,5]. A number of 18 core colonies in southern Africa hold about 80% of the world's Cape Vulture population [6]. 

Bird Ringing- What we've learnt locally so far

This is what has been observed and deduced from the ringing sessions so far.

24th Sep 2011- Umzumbe. Re-capture of Yellow Weaver adult male (BH05488). New longevity record. 7 years 9 months and 18 days. Ringed 1.6km away at Wozani, indicating this population of Yellow Weavers possibly fairly sedentary.

2nd Oct 2011- Umzumbe Floodplain. Re-capture of adult un-sexed Cape Weaver (CV34528). Ringed by Andrew on 5th June 2010 at Wozani, indicating this population of Cape Weavers also possibly fairly sedentary.